How to Avoid Plumbing Nightmares

Avoid Plumbing Nightmares This Month and All Year Long

You can count on one thing once you become a homeowner, unexpected problems and unfortunately that often mean unexpected expenses.

Keeping your sanity amidst all this uncertainty can be difficult. One thing you shouldn’t do is add to the list by creating a Plumbing Nightmare in your home.

How do you create a plumbing nightmare? The biggest plumbing nightmares are caused when homeowners don’t follow simple steps to protect the piping system and sewer lines connected to their homes.

Here are 6 Tips to help you avoid Plumbing and Heating Nightmares this month and all year long:

Keep grease out of your drains: This causes clogged pipes and can lead to a costly plumbing bill. Never mind the mess it can create in your home. Used cooking oils are insanely damaging to your garbage disposal. After you put something down the garbage disposal, it is recommended to run cold water at full pressure for at least fifteen seconds. If you realize that there is an issue with your garbage disposal, and you cannot seem to find the issue, Affordable Plumbing and Heat can come and get your garbage back to pristine condition in no time.

Do not buy flushable wipes: While this product may be flushable in ideal circumstances, you cannot always know the condition of your pipes and side sewer line. It is best to avoid them as they can clog up your line. You need to remember that things such as paper towels and even thicker toilet paper can begin to clog up your pipes, and flushable wipes fall into that category.

Learn where to shut off the main water supply to your home: If you are experiencing a leak in your home and water is flooding, the most important thing you can do is shut off the main water supply to your house to prevent further damage. The main water shut off valve can be found in your basement near the front foundation wall, in the crawl space, or near the water heater. To turn off the main water supply simply turn the valve to the right (clockwise) as far as it goes with a wrench. Call Affordable Plumbing and Heat; we can come out 7 days a week and find the location of the leak and get your water back on as soon as possible.

Keep the area around your furnace free of snow and debris: Your furnace may shut off automatically if it cannot vent properly. Make sure you keep the area clear, and know how to locate the emergency shut off for your furnace so if it shuts off you can turn it back on. Make sure that the dampers are open. If they are closed it can prevent heat from entering the room. Also, make sure that the registers are not blocked by things such as rugs, furniture, or blankets. If your furnace still seems to not work, check the filter. Many times the filter just needs changed, and as soon as you change it you will notice a change in temperature. If the filter is dirty it will cause the furnace to overwork for no reason.

Get your sewer line inspected with a camera: We feel this should be included in every home inspection because if you don’t know what is lurking in your pipes then how can you avoid a plumbing emergency? Aging sewer lines are prone to damage over time from a variety of factors, including tree roots which can invade the line, or waste building up and corroding the pipes. Affordable Plumbing and Heat offers a camera with a home inspection for a reasonable price. Once you get your sewer inspected with a camera, we provide you with a copy of the video. Cameras also allow us to see what the cause of the backup is. We can then take the necessary measures to ensure that your sewer system gets cleared.

Get familiar with your utility bills: If you notice an unexpected increase in the monthly cost, it could mean you have an undetected leak in your plumbing system. An increase in your heating bill could also mean that your furnace is not running efficiently. Getting familiar with your utility bills can help you discover an issue that has not even popped up yet. This could end up saving you hundreds or even thousands.

Keep the Affordable Plumbing and Heat phone number handy at all times so you can avoid Plumbing and Heating Nightmares.

"This was the best plumbing company experience I have ever had. The plumbing technician, Curt, was outstanding in the truest sense of that word. He was courteous, articulate, conscious that he had been working outside and thus careful to not track dirt into the house...simply a cut above. And he did the job fast and with skill. I would highly recommend Affordable to anyone without reservation."